Steam-operated apparatus and process for mixing and applying plastic and other materials



. E. SHEPHERD STEAM OPERATED APPARATUS AND'PROCESS FOR MIXING AND APPLYING PLASTIC AND OTHER-MATERIALS Filed July 5, 193

Patented Oct. 6, 1925. I

PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN E. SHEPHERD, O'F CHARLOTTESVILLE, VIRGINIA. I

STEAM-OPERATED APPARATUS AND PROCESS FOR MIXING AND APPLYING PLASTIC AND OTHER MATERIALS.

Application fiied'rui 5,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN E. SHEPHERD, a citizen of the United States, residing in Charlottesville, in the county of Albemarle and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Steam-Operated Apparatus and Processes for Mixing and ApplyingPlastic and Other Materials, of which the following is a speci- This invention rely? to processes and machines or apparat or devices for depositing and mixing adhesives, plastics, powders, liquids, and fire extinguishing and other materials, though it is noted that the invention is not limited to these materials nor to mixing nor in some respects even to depositing.

One object of the invention is to provide improvements in the apparatus and processes shown in the United States patents of Carl E. Akeley, No. 984,254, issued Feb; 14, 1911, and No. 991,814 issued May 9, 1911.

An important object of the invention is to provide an apparatus and process of this kind in which it is not necessary to use an air compressor run by steam or otherwise, thus saving a very great expense both of first cost and operation.-

Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus and process'of this kind by which the plastic adhesive or the like is warmed and may be conveniently applied in cold weather.

Another object of the invention is to provide a steam operated device for applying cement and other material without the expense and trouble of superheating the steam.

1923. Serial n... 649,684.

erated by the air expansion at the nozzle which so chills the cement, that the nozzle freezes up or operations have to be suspended at temperatures -much higher than would be the case if this heat extracting ,did not take place at the nozzle.

Other objects of the invention are to improve generally the simplicity, economy and efficiency of such processes and devices and to provide a device or apparatus of this kind which is durable, economical to manufacture and operate and which will not get out of order.

The inventive features for the accomplishment of these and other objects areshown herein in connection with an improved mixingand applying apparatus which, briefly stated, comprises a combining nozzle connected by flexible conduits with a steam boiler, a water supply tank, and a receptacle for dry or other material or materials.

Other objects of the invention 'will appear as the description proceeds; and while herein details of the invention are described, the invention is not limited to these, since many and various changes may be made without departing from the invention as claimed.

In the accompanying drawing, showing scope of the by way of example, one of manypossible embodiments of the invention,

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic side elevation of the apparatus as a whole; and

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view, partly in elevation, of the nozzle.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, my improved apparatus is shown as comprising a combining nozzle 5 fed from a steam boiler 28, a water supply tank 35 and a dry-material receptacle 50, all as will be explained.

The combining nozzle 5 comprises a body portion -6 having a lar e elbow-shaped chamber 7 (Fig. 2), provided with an interiorly threaded rear extension 8 coaxial with the discharge end 9 and receiving an inner nozzle tube 12 screwed in said exten- 6 is-provided with intermediately spaced and rear flanges or webs 17 and 18 1 liquid passage,-

1 tures 23 communicating with said hquid passage. A forwardly tapering main nozzle tube 25 coaxial with the inner nozzle tube 12 has 'a peripheral threaded inner end flange 26 screwed in the outer end'of the i0 collar 16 tight against said flared flange 25 conduit formed of a valved pipe section 29,

leaving exposed said apertures 23 to admit, waterfito the main nozzle.

Steam is transmitted to theinner nozzletube 12 from the boiler 28 through a steam a pipe section. 30 and'a flexible section or hose 31 connected to and feedin steam to the rear end of said inner noz e 12 and mg.

' Steam under boiler pressure is then provided with a control valve 32 near the 30 nozzle.

8 leading to said The liquid or water tank 35 is air tight and is provided with a liquid conduit com prising a liquid pigs 36 extending from its ower part and a exible section or hose 37 liquid valve 38 connected to the outer end of an elbow 39 screwed in a tapped v inlet 40 (Fig. 2) of said collar 16, for feeding liquid to said liquid passage formed by the groove 19. A steam pumg) 43 having its steam cylinder 44 connected E a valve pipe 45 to said steam pipe 29 as its-pumping cylinder 46 connected by ,a pipe 47 to. said pipe 36 and to suitable water' or liquid supply at the inlet 48 for. storing vided with a contro water under pressure in the liquid tank. Also water may be conveyed to the tank through the valved pipe 49; though it is noted that any other means of water supply, ma be used;

e receptacle 50 or other dry material is open to atmos heric pressure at the 'top and has a dis rge' o' mng 51 at the bottom over which is mova Is a slide 52 provided with 'a control rod 53 passing'through the wall of the tank for controlling the rate of discharge of the material. A funnel or feed chamber 55 secured on the floor of'the receptacle 50 beneath said discharge opening 51 is prodry valve'56 at the bottom, and at the upper part with perforations 57 to admit atmosphericpressure.

.A feed wheel 60 is rotatab y supported in sa d feed chamber by rojecting' shaft 61 and has peripheral poc ets 62 registemble said groove 1a an annular for cement, sand, lime one at a time with saiddischarge opening. A worm wheel 63 onlshaft 61 isen'gaged'by a worm 65 fast on a'counter shaft 69 rotatably mounted on brackets 70 mp the outer art of the funnel. A'steam turbine 74 fed om said steam pipe section 30 has a drive pulle 75 connected by a belt 76to a whee 77 fast on the shaft 69, where y the feed wheel 60 feeds increments of dry ma terial into the feed chamber. A stirrer 76 above said discharge opening 51 is driven from said shaft 61 by suitablemeans (not shown). flange 79 of the dry inlet 80 of the nozzle 5 is connected to a large-flexible dry conduit 81 or hose leading from said dry valve 56. The funnel 55 and feed wheel 60 are siinilar to that shown in the Akeley atents and need not be here further descri d.

The operation of my improved recess and apparatus isfsim 1e. and o vious. Steam 1n the boiler is raised to the desired pressureysay 70 pounds; the tank 35 is sup plied'with water through the pump 43 or the pipe 49; the rece tacle 50 is supplied with cement and sand or other dry material; and the feed wheel 60 started to rotatpassed through the steamconduit, the inner lloy An elbow-joint 78 secured on a nozzle tube '12, the 'bushingi'20 and main The water and dry material are thus fed into the blasto-f steam by the'suction of entrainment of the steam, and the-blast then forces out and applies said water and materialby the force of said blast onto the wall or surface to be treated, mixing depositing and tamping them in one o ration as described in said patents. In ad ition to these results, the hot steam heats or warms the material so that concrete or the like thus de sited has time to set before it becomes, 00 (1, thus permitting in freezing weather,

operations which heretofore could not be carried on in freezing tem ratures.

. As the suction generatefby the steam jet is considerable, pressure inthetank 35 is not required.

' While herein'I show one liquid tank and one dry'material tank, the invention is not J limited'to this number of materials of either kind, or to materials of both kinds, or tea plurality of materials besides the steam, or to materials of the kindstated, or to steam as aheating medium.

My process and ap aratus can beused with the liquid tank a one-or with the dry receptacle alone, and may be used with materials than those mentioned, such as other i Eaint white-wash, tar disinfectin vapors, 'quids and powders, lire extinguis g materials, and others too numerous to mention.

I claim:

1. A pro'ces comprising su'ppl ing a stream of steam; and separately ad ing cementitious material and water to said 2. A process comprising supplying a tream of hot fluid; and separately ad ing dry cementitious material and liquid to said stream.

3. A process comprising forming steam under pressure; forming a blast of the steam; adding dry material. to said blast; and injecting water into said blast.

4. In combination, a combining nozzle; a boiler; a steam conduit leadin from the boiler and feeding steam to sai nozzle; an

airtight water pressuretank having a' water conduit extending from its lower part and 'leading to said nozzle; a receptacle for dry material; and means for feeding the dry material into said nozzle.

5. A combinin nozzle provided with a large body cham r; an inner nozzle tube extending coaxial to near the discharge end of the chamber; an annular liquid assageprovided with forwardly converge apertures at said dischar e end; and a main nozzle tube coaxial wit a the inner nozzle tube forward of said discharge end and into which said apertures discharge.

6. A comblning nozzle comprising a body rtion having; a large elbow-shaped chamr; an .innernozzle tube screwed in said chamber and extending coaxial to near the discharge end of the chamber; means on said discharge end forming an annular liq- .uid passage provided with apertures; and a main. nozzle tube coaxial, with the inner nozzle tube and fitting against said forward end and leaving exposed said, apertures.

,with said boiler and feeding steam to said nozzle; an air tight water pressure tank having a water conduit extending from its lower part and leading to said nozzle; a receptacle for dry material; a feed chamber beneath said receptacle; a feed wheel in said feed chamber for feeding increments of dry material into the feed chamber; and a large flexible dry conduit or hose leading from said feed chamber to said nozzle.

9. A combining nozzle comprising a. body portion having a large elbow-shaped chamher; an inner nozzle tube screwed in said chamber and extending coaxial to near the discharge end of the chamber; a collar screwed on saiddischarge end and provided with an intermediate annular chamber groove, and having a lateral liquid inlet opening; a bushing in said collar forming oove an annular liquid passage and provi ed with apertures communicat: ing with the liquid passage; and a main nozzle tube coaxial with the inner nozzle tube and fitting against said flared flange, leaving exposed said apertures.

' 10. A nozzle comprising a body portion having a large elbow-shaped chamber'having an exteri'orly threaded forward dischar e end, and aflan'ged lateral dry inlet end" or dry material, and provided with interiorly threaded rear extension coaxial with the discharge end; an inner nozzle tube screwed: in said extension and extending to near said discharge end and interiorly having a 'venturi contour at the forward end;

'and intermediately spaced inner front and rear webs forming an intermediate annular chamber groove, and having a, lateral tapped liquid inlet opening; a bushing in said collar forming with said groove an annular liquid passage and having its inner end fitted against said rear web and the 100 body portion; and provided at its forward end with a flared flange fitting in the outer web and provided with converging apertures communicating with the liquid passage; and a forwardly tapering main nozzle tube coaxial with the inner nozzle tube and having a peripherally threaded inner end flange screwed in the outer end of the collar tight against said flared flan leaving exposed said apertures to to the main nozzle. 4 JOHN E. SHEPHERD,

adm t liquid 

